Is it too soon to start talking about the 2017 NBA Draft? Of course not. With the February 23 trade deadline fast approaching, draft picks are a hot topic right now. For example, will the Boston Celtics be willing to part with Brooklyn’s lottery pick in a package to land Bulls star Jimmy Butler? That’s the big question on everyone’s minds in Chicago right now. There’s also the potential to land a first round pick by trading veteran forward Taj Gibson.
It will be much easier to make educated guesses about the Bulls’ draft targets when we know exactly where they’ll be picking and how many picks they have. For now, ESPN’s NBA insider Chad Ford just released the third installment of his 2017 Mock Draft. All you Bulls fans out there hoping for a point guard with shooting skills might want to look away.
Go Big
Ford has the Bulls drafting Texas freshman center Jarrett Allen with the 17th overall pick. Here are Ford’s notes:
The Bulls are a mess and the rumblings that there could be major changes to the front office and team this summer appear well-founded. Trying to discern what’s next for them, given the team chaos, is difficult.
Allen is a project, but an intriguing one. His defense is ahead of his offense right now, but over the course of the past few weeks he has been making major offensive strides as well.
He seems to be coming on at the right time and could be a nice backup to Robin Lopez for the next year or two while he adds strength and experience. – Chad Ford
Scouting Report
Allen is a five-star recruit from Austin St. Stephen’s, and he’s looking like a kid worth that hype as his first year of college ball rolls along. He’s averaging 12.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game on the season, but his offense is quickly developing. Jarrett has tallied 17 or more points in 6 of the Longhorns’ last 7 games. His best performance came against #2 Kansas on January 21, when the 18 year old piled up 22 points, 19 rebounds and 3 blocks.
Offensively, Jarrett is a work in progress. He has some decent post moves, but finishing with more consistency is still lacking. For a big man, his stroke from midrange is very mechanically sound. But here’s undoubtedly the best thing about Allen on the offensive end: he runs the floor like a wing player. He’s got a great stride and could fit very well into a fast-paced Fred Hoiberg offense.
Allen has a high ceiling as a frontcourt defender in the NBA. At 6’11 and with a wingspan of 7’6, he’s long enough to guard over-sized centers and contest a variety of shots. His footwork is already better than plenty of bigs in the NBA, and he’s got great defensive instincts. Adding muscle and toughness will be key for him to make the jump to the pros.
Intangibles
If anyone can tell you not to be worried about Allen making that transition to the pros, it’s his head coach at Texas Shaka Smart.
“The thing that I think has been tremendous about [Jarrett’s] transition is that unlike most other freshman, he had next to no time to wrap his mind around the transition he was about to make.” – Shaka Smart
Smart was referencing Allen’s quick turnaround after his decision; singing with Texas on a Friday and moving onto campus to join the team that Saturday. If he can do that seamlessly, it stands to reason that Jarrett can handle the transition to the NBA. Smart also highlighted what might be his young center’s greatest intangible: making max effort plays.
“Jarrett is one of those guys because he’s such a natural with the game, as he learns more and more to give max effort on different plays, that’s going to make him more and more effective on the floor.” – Shaka Smart
Max effort plays. You know who that sounds like, right? Joakim Noah. The ex-Bull is struggling with the Knicks in the back half of his career, but the max effort plays of a young Noah were largely what brought a dormant Bulls franchise back to life. Hoiberg could certainly use another one of those guys.
The Other Guys
The other factor you have to look at when determining the odds of the Bulls drafting Allen (or any center) is the guys they have right now. Despite the youth and/or draft picks he might bring in a trade, it sounds like Gar Forman and John Paxson have no plans to sell veteran center Robin Lopez. The Bulls have Lopez under a team-friendly contract through the 2018-19 season, so GarPax might decide he’s worth keeping around as a reliable piece of the core. He’s no offensive superstar, but he’s efficient in the post and his work on the offensive glass has been a huge plus for Chicago this season.
The wild card here is Cristiano Felicio. Despite what some scouts said, it appears that 2015 first round pick Bobby Portis is incapable of playing center at the NBA level. Felicio, meanwhile, has served dutifully as Lopez’s backup all season. His defense still needs work, but it’s already getting better. On the offensive end, he runs the pick and roll to perfection and crashes the boards with ferocity and consistency. GarPax (or their staff) deserve credit for finding this undrafted gem. But will they keep him? Felicio will be a restricted free agent this summer, and you can bet many teams around the league notice his high potential. If he signs a big money offer sheet, will GarPax match it?
If they don’t, finding a young center would quickly become a priority for management in the 2017 draft. Hello, Jarrett Allen. There aren’t many true centers in this draft class. Justin Patton of Creighton is another, but he’s the highest-rated center and could be gone by the time the Bulls are on the clock. Remember, Ford’s latest mock (which has Patton going 13th to Milwaukee) is based on the current NBA standings. As of right now, the Bulls are looking at the #17 pick. That could change.
That’s one of many things that could change for the Bulls in the near future. It should be an interesting couple of weeks as we get closer to that trade deadline.
